Air balance for water closet

ABSTRACT

A water closet of the tank type in which a limited supply of air is entrapped in the tank by water under pressure of the domestic supply and serves to assist the water pressure in expelling flushing water to the bowl during the flushing cycle having means for maintaining the supply of air at the desired level despite absorption of air by the water, such means including means to resupply air as needed and means to expel excess air. The specific air supply device comprises an inverted cup filled with air on each flushing cycle and having its air supply added to the tank at the start of the next flushing cycle.

Tlnite tates at [1 1 m les Primary Examiner-Laverne D. Geiger Assistant Examiner--Henry K. Artis Attorney- Lyon 8: Lyon ABSTIlTA CT: A water closet of the tank type in which a limited supply of air is entrapped in the tank by water under pressure of the domestic supply and serves to assist the water pressure in expelling flushing water to the bowl during the flushing cycle having means for maintaining the supply of air at the desired level despite absorption of air by the water, such means including means to resupply air as needed and means to expel excess air.

The specific air supply device comprises an inverted cup filled with air on each flushing cycle and having its air supply added to the tank at the start of the next flushing cycle.

,55 ,i "155 ii g 52 5;;

AIR BALANCE FOR WATER CLOSET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a water closet and more particularly to an air balance mechanism or system for keeping the air supply entrapped in the tank of the water closet balanced to a point where it is neither depleted by absorption in the associated water supply to a degree so that it is no longer effec tive to operate the mechanism nor oversupplied to a degree that prevents proper operation thereof.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,408 issued Aug. 20, 1968 to this same inventor there is illustrated a water closet in which a supply of air is entrapped in a tank and aids the domestic water supply pressure in expelling water from the tank to the water closet bowl during the flushing operation.

It has been discovered that if the apparatus of this invention is allowed to sit unused over an extended period of time air within the tank and above the waterline tends to become absorbed in the water. As the effective functioning of the device depends upon an equalization of pressures between the air in the tank and the domestic water supply, this is upset by an undue depletion of the air supply. Similarly, an oversupply of air affects the water level in the tank.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide means for maintaining the proper air supply in the tank of such a water closet, to resupply air as needed and to expel excess air.

These and other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the annexed specification in which:

FIG. l is a side view of an installation embodying the present invention with parts thereof shown in section and showing the actuated position, i.e., showing the condition of the parts directly after depressing the valve handle;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the float mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section similar to part of FIG. l and showing the air-entrapping step;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. ll showing the parts in the flushing step; and

FIG. is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the parts in the static position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a water closet system including a toilet bowl 16 to which leads a supply line llll. A main water supply line 12 supplies water under pressure through an inlet port 16 to tank 115. The supply line also supplies water to a valve 16 as by a fitting 17. The fitting I7 is retained in the valve body 19 by a member 18 threaded on to a member 118a which in turn is threaded into the bore 26 in the valve body 19. A valve 22 is provided with a reduced portion 26 and a pair of enlarged portions 29 and 29a forming closures respectively against seats 31 and 21 in the bore 20. A coil spring abuts the enlarged portion 29 and the member 118a and constantly urges the valve 22 to the left, as shown in FIG. 2.

A lever 36 is pivotally mounted on the valve body 19, engages a push rod 34 in bore 26 which in turn engages the free end of enlarged portion 290 of valve 22. The body 19 has a bore 40 communicating with a pipe 41 and a bore 13 communicating with a pipe 44. A needle valve 50 controls the flow of water through the bore 63.

The tank I5 is closed at the top 51 and is in the form of a hollow cylinder having an open lower end. The lower end of the tank E5 is received in the enlarged bore in ring 52 which ring also provides inlet port 14. A casting body 56 is held in ring 52 by a snapring 53 and is sealed thereto by an O-ring 54L The casting body 56 also provides an outlet 55 to supply line 11 leading to bowl It). A housing 57 is seated in an annular shoulder formed in the upper surface of body 56 and is in the form of a hollow cylinder having a reduced internal diameter towards its upper end. The housing 57 has an extension 57a forming a shoulder 58 on which is seated a baffle 59 and a collar 60 is seated on the baffle 59 and against extension 57a, as shown. The collar 60 has a plurality of bores receiving a like number of rods 61 which each have one end affixed in the collar 66 and the other end affixed in a cap 62 to form a cage. The collar 66 also has an extension in which is formed a bore 63 and a communicating lateral bore 66. The bore 63 receives an upstanding air. tube 66 and the lateral bore 66 terminates adjacent the upper end of the reduced diameter of housing 57.

A float 66 operates in the cage thus formed and is preferably formed as follows. A polyurethane rigid foam cylinder 67 having a reduced open lower end and a closed upper end is formed. A cycolac rigid plastic ring 67a is seated on the reduced lower end of cylinder 67 and itself has a reduced lower end. A stainless steel ring poppet 66 receives a portion of the reduced end of ring 6701 and the upper reduced end of the air induction chamber 69a. The air induction chamber 6% is in the form of a cylinder having the abovementioned reduced and closed upper end, an open lower end and a plurality of lateral holes 69b adjacent the closed upper end thereof.

The housing .57 has an internal shoulder adjacent its open lower end against which is seated a spider 76. Spider 76 has a central guide portion 711 for a shaft 76. The casting 66 has a bore 76 having an enlarged portion 76 and a more greatly enlarged portion '77 as one approaches its lower end, thus form ing shoulders '76 and 79. A ring 73 having a central bore 86 tapped to receive pipe 61 is seated against shoulder 79 and retained by a split ring 6i seated in an annular groove 62 in casting 56. A piston head 63 is mounted on shaft 76 at its lower end and may travel between limits defined by the top of ring 73 and the shoulder '78. The upper end of shaft 76 carries a piston head 66 having an annular groove 65 therein in which is seated an O-ring 36. The opening formed by the inwardly tapering wall of the bore of housing 57 has an upwardly extending lip 67 against which O-ring 66 seals when the piston formed by heads 83 and M is in its upper position.

The operation of the above-described device is essentially the same as that set forth for the device of Skousgaard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,408 and has the same objects and advantages with the exception of the added feature of the air balance maintained by the present invention.

It will be noted that in the static condition shown in FIG. 5 the device is in such condition that the pistons 63 and 66 are completely retracted and seated at the bottom and likewise the float 66, 69a is seated with the holes 6% covered by the sides of the bore of body 57 and the lower end of air chamber 69a is open to the air. As outlet 55 is open to the atmosphere a limited supply of air has been entrapped in member 690. Depressing of the handle 36 opens communication for water under pressure to the bottom of piston 63 which moves this piston upwards to dislodge the float, as shown in FIG. I. O- ring 66 will close off and seal the open lower end of chamber 6% as float 66 is dislodged, thus assuring that the entrapped air is added to the tank rather than being forced out of the open end by water entering holes 6%. Releasing the handle 36 breaks off this supply of water to the bottom of piston 63 and permits it to return to its initial position under the force of spring 106 which surrounds shaft M and is confined between the top of piston 83 and the spider 70. As the upper piston head 66 clears its seat, water begins to flush out of tank under the pressure of the air confined in tank 15 and the incoming domestic water supply pressure. Water passes outwardly to the bowl more quickly than it is supplied to the tank, as clearly set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,408 and eventually the float 66 reseats. However, the air in member 69a will be added to tank 15 as it is expelled through openings 6% by incoming water and hence on each operation of the device a limited supply of air is added to the tank. This supply of air may be regulated by proper choice of the height of pipe 65 which is arranged to expel excess air prior to the seating of the float.

Thus, it will be seen that on each operation of the water closet the tank is supplied with a recharge of air sufficient to replace all air lost by absorption in the water.

The invention is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a water closet of the type having a sealed tank confining a water supply and an air supply in contact with each other and under pressure so as to involve absorption of air into the water and in which said water supply is delivered to a bowl on intermittent flushing operations involving the unseating and reseating of a float member; the improvement comprising cupshaped means for supplying air to said tank to replenish air absorbed in the water supply upon each flushing operation of said water closet.

2. A water closet as set forth in claim 1 in which said means for supplying air comprises means associated with said float member and adapted to entrap a limited supply of air upon each flushing operation of said water closet and to deliver said limited supply of air to said tank.

3. A water closet as set forth in claim I in which said means for supplying air comprises an inverted cup-shaped member carried by said float having air escape apertures adjacent the top thereof; means normally sealing said apertures; a piston operative to unseat said float upon initiation of a flushing operation; means associated with said piston for closing the open end of said cup-shaped member to entrap a supply of air therein prior to unseating of said float, said supply of air being delivered to said tank by water expelling said air through said apertures after unseating of said float.

4. A water closet as set forth in claim 1 in which means for expelling excess air into the stream of water as it is flushed are provided, said means comprising an upstanding pipe having an open end normally extending above the waterline in said tank and its other end disposed adjacent the discharge opening of said tank.

5. A water closet as set forth in claim 1 in which said means for supplying air comprises an inverted cup-shaped member carried by said float having air escape apertures adjacent the top thereof; means normally sealing said apertures; a piston operative to unseat said float upon initiation of a flushing operation; means associated with said piston for closing the open end of said cup-shaped member to entrap a supply of air therein prior to unseating of said float, said supply of air being delivered to said tank by water expelling said air through said apertures after unseating of said float. 

1. In a water closet of the type having a sealed tank confining a water supply and an air supply in contact with each other and under pressure so as to involve absorption of air into the water and in which said water supply is delivered to a bowl on intermittent flushing operations involving the unseating and reseating of a float member; the improvement comprising cupshaped means for supplying air to said tank to replenish air absorbed in the water supply upon each flushing operation of said water closet.
 2. A water closet as set forth in claim 1 in which said means for supplying air comprises means associated with said float member and adapted to entrap a limited supply of air upon each flushing operation of said water closet and to deliver said limited supply of air to said tank.
 3. A water closet as set forth in claim 1 in which said means for supplying air comprises an inverted cup-shaped member carried by said float having air escape apertures adjacent the top thereof; means normally sealing said apertures; a piston operative to unseat said float upon initiation of a flushing operation; means associated with said piston for closing the open end of said cup-shaped member to entrap a supply of air therein prior to unseating of said float, said supply of air being delivered to said tank by water expelling said air through said apertures after unseating of said float.
 4. A water closet as set forth in claim 1 in which means for expelling excess air into the stream of water as it is flushed are provided, said means comprising an upstanding pipe having an open end normally extending above the waterline in said tank and its other end disposed adjacent the discharge opening of said tank.
 5. A water closet as set forth in claim 1 in which said means for supplying air comprises an inverted cup-shaped member carried by said float having air escape apertures adjacent the top thereof; means normally sealing said apertures; a piston operative to unseat said float upon initiation of a flushing operation; means associated with said piston for closing the open end of said cup-shaped member to entrap a supply of air therein prior to unseating of said float, said supply of air being delivered to said tank by water expelling said air through said apertures after unseating of said float. 